jolida 202 or 302?

Yes, my speakers are inefficient (maybe around 86 - they're Tangent RS4s). But I have auditioned the 302 and the modified 202 with them, and I've not heard them sound so good before. So I'm sold on the tubes. It's true that I couldn't really crank the volume, but I don't do that much in any case. I figure I rather sacrifice the ability to crank as high as I sometimes (but not often) like in order to get that sound I heard from the Jolida. I did THINK I might have detected more headroom with the 302 over the 202, but wasn't sure why it should be noticible with only a 10W difference. (Besides, I auditioned a 40W Arcam that seemed to have no trouble with these speakers at the levels I listen to, so I figured I must just have been hearing what I expected to hear in power difference between the 302 and 202.) Hence my thread.

So, Trelja, your response begins to explain to me why I might not have been imagining things when I thought I detected more headroom with the 302. Right? It's not simply a matter of wattage (or the way it's measured, anyway)?

One more thing... Being new to tubes, I have lots of questions. How much difference could tubes make in making the 202 (or 302, for that matter) sound more powerful? For example, KT88s?

Hi Judasmac,
tubes can make a significant difference (Tube Rolling) but it's a very system depending thing and also of personal likings. And it's best decided by you after you hear different tube brands...
Cheers!

I went to my friend place yesterday,I heard the integrated
jolida tube amp $950, and jolida cd player for $900,I
am making a guest, the sound is the most live and most
natural sounding, I heard, The whole system is most
likely 5k, When I heard Eva Cassidy, I thought, She is
in the room with her band, Scary knowing, she is dead
years ago.Soorry I have not heard the 202 203, but
Jolida product shocks me,NO RELATION TO JOLIDA.

Jayctoy, was it a hybrid you heard (tube preamp with a ss power amp)? Maybe the 1501 or 1703/4? Definitely try the 202 and 302. I listened to the 1501 ($650-750 new) and thought it was a nice amp, but the all tube 302 was just qualitatively different. Superior, more natural. I wanted to like the 1501 (more power and a remote), but the choice was obvious after hearing both.